Photos: Child Poverty in Colorado

The number of children under the age of 18 who live below the poverty line in the United States increased by 9% between 2000 and 2006. In Colorado, the number of children living in poverty grew by 72%, the highest rate increase in the nation. These are the stories of some of those children. This Denver Post documentary project provides a window into the lives of eight families living below the poverty line. To see more photos and videos of the families, visit the multimedia project on denverpost.com.

The Atencio Family, Photos by Reza Marvashti
Ron and Vickie Atencio’s modest Grand Junction house and an adjacent RV are home to 27 people, including 13 children. The Atencios’ three sons – victims of layoffs in the energy industry – and their families comprise most of the household. The living room transforms into a bedroom at night for many of the children, and fixing meals is an adventure. Alicia Atencio, the wife of one of the sons, said it’s like cooking for an army.
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The Razey Family, Photos by RJ Sangosti
Michelle Razey, 28, has been married and divorced twice where she grew up in Lamar, a Colorado farming town. She has two children: 8-year-old Michael, who needs oxygen at night, and 3-year-old Misti, who has asthma. Razey worries that her past drug use caused her kids’ lung problems. She lives with her unemployed mother, and the household survives on welfare checks. Razey, who has come out that she is gay and whose girlfriend now lives with the family, is taking college classes. She hopes to get a degree in social work.
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The Martinez Family, Photos by Judy DeHaas
Sherry and Eli Martinez, ages 40 and 39, are raising eight of their nine children in an adobe home and an adjacent building on their property. The adobe house was built by Eli’s father more than 75 years ago. Sherry earns $21,000 a year at a hospital nine miles away, but Eli, a war veteran, is unable to hold a job. Poverty has been a way of life for generations in this part of the San Luis Valley. But Eli is too proud to accept food stamps. Instead, he spends time with the children, hunts for meat and takes seasonal jobs in nearby potato farms. All the kids pitch in to fix meals, feed the animals and gather firewood for the stoves.
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The Cook Family, Photos by Joe Amon
Eight people, including three children, live in Rodney and Kalin Cook’s two trailers, which are boarded together with plywood near the tiny town of Hooper in Saguache County, the poorest in the state. They use an old truck to generate electricity for the property, and they haul water – for drinking, bathing and cooking, and for the animals – from a neighbor’s well and an artesian well. They live off welfare, unemployment and disability checks. But they’re happy. The children play with the 10 dogs, two cats, four horses and other assorted animals on the Cooks’ 40-acre property. “We like it out here,” Rodney Cook says.
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The Archuleta Family, Photos by Hyoung Chang
Patsy Archuleta, 56, is raising two grandchildren by herself while battling cancer in her left arm. The mother of 5-year-old Alexander and 10-year-old Lillian is somewhere in Colorado Springs, a fugitive wanted on drug charges. Alexander’s dad is a fugitive too, and Lillian’s father died three years ago of complications from drug addiction. Grandmother and the two kids live in a double-wide trailer in Pueblo and survive on $1,300 a month in Social Security. She wants to adopt both children so they can inherit her trailer and car.
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The Dorsey Family, Photos by Craig F. Walker
Denver’s Sun Valley, the poorest neighborhood in Colorado, is a welcome shelter for Shawnette Dorsey, 32, and her three children, ages 13 months, 8 and 13. The family, who had bounced from apartment to shelter to friends’ homes, finally landed an apartment at Decatur Place for single parents willing to enter a two-year program to get back on their feet. She and the kids say grace and go to church on Sunday. Still, life isn’t easy. Both of her sons have been in and out of trouble at school. In September, she lost her job, so now the family lives off unemployment checks, food stamps and Medicaid.
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The Hessling Family, Photos by Joe Amon
Roy Hessling’s world crashed down around him in January 2007, when his wife, Jill, a working mom, died at 29 after heart surgery. He now raises their three children, ages 8 to 11, in the suburbs while working as a mechanic at a Brakes Plus shop. The children go to his in-laws’ home after school and wait for their father to pick them up after work. They usually stay at his in-laws’ house and eat dinner as a family. ‘We’re just basic people trying to get by,’ he says.
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The Guernsey Family, Photos by Andy Cross
Patricia Guernsey, 35, lives with her three children and 54-year-old mother in an apartment at the Kings Inn Motel on East Colfax Avenue. They live off unemployment checks, food stamps and disability. Linda Starkey, their grandmother, takes 5-year-old Tatiana to school on an RTD bus. The family, which is often behind on its rent, continuously faces eviction.
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A very moving collection of photographs. A reminder of how much sadness there is in the world. The Hessling family story is heart-breaking.

I think these photographs give a lot of dignity to the people in them, something I am very pleased to see considering the contempt and derision people who live on welfare are often treated with.

Robert

It is apparent that the point of this very moving essay escapes Jakob. Agreed, there are many places in this world where child poverty is far worse, but, I believe this is a photo essay about child poverty in the USA, the wealthiest country on earth. A nation that prides itself at being the most socially advanced, the most compassionate, and the most generous, yet child poverty exists, invisibly right under our noses, where of all places, there should be none.

Mary

jakob Says: “i am a Chinese college student. The situation in China is much worse…”

First: this is a piece about child poverty in Colorado, so the comparative “badness” of the situation in ANY other country has nothing to do with it.

Second: we can’t do much (if anything) about child poverty in another country, but we can do something about it here! The first thing we need to do is figure out how to get parents employed at enough money to take care of their children. The second thing we need to do is make sure parents understand that when they make minimum wage having additional children is just plain irresponsible (and make sure they have access to inexpensive birth control). I cannot tell a lie – I was absolutely appalled by the couple with 9 children who are trying to make it on her pay of $21,000 – while he is “too proud” to get help – especially since he is a vet and if his service caused his inability to hold a job may well be OWED some form of pension. When you have 9 children, you can’t afford that much pride!

Jakob, I have to agree with Mary and Robert. Furthermore, I feel inclined to add that regardless of how it compares to the situation of others in another country, childhood poverty is still childhood poverty. It is unacceptable to belittle or decry what they are going through in such a way. Quite simply, you are being apathetic and insulting.

Valeech

Wow, poverty in America sure looks bad. I would hate to have to sit around all day and watch TV and get fat as a kid because my parents wouldn’t take the time to teach me different. I could grow up and learn that I don’t have to provide for myself, too, and that the government will just send me a packet of food stamps every month. I have no concern where those food stamps came from, just that my government is taking care of me, rather than me having to do it for myself. Oh, wait, I think I heard food stamps come from the government stealing money at gun point from the nation’s producers and redistributing that wealth to me, the poor. I think they call it taxes or something.

Stephen

Superb documentary photos. They really remind you how powerful photography can be for revealing hidden worlds. Personally I was struck by how happy many of the kids looked in the pictures. Children can be amazingly resilient, and make do with very little, so long as they are well loved.

That said, we need to do a lot more to help poor families with children in this country.

I find this collection very moving, especially since my college was very close to a few of these areas. I think one thing most of these people are probably lacking, besides education, is some basic fiscal skills. In one picture they have cable! I find this very sad, but when you are on food stamps some things are a luxury and there are better things to spend money on.

John Doe

These people don’t know how lucky they are. I work a 60 hour work week and barely see my children or spend time with them. These people look like they are just laying around the house all day relaxing. I dream of a life where I could lay around and have 9 kids. Did anyone notice most of these people are overweight? I am glad my tax money keeps them extra fat. If this is the poverty line, maybe Ill just stop going to work and take a break for a few years. It would give me time to read some books and maybe put on a few extra pounds.

I can see where some of these children will go on to make their lives better, while the others continue to live on assistance all their lives. I was impressed with the family who had their children comparing food prices and learning to cook and clean. These children have a chance.

Edward

This photo essay made me feel sad. Not sad because of the families and their struggles, but because I’ve been going through some struggles myself and I forget that things can be a lot worse.
I know I can’t do much for people in China, India, Africa or even Colorado, but I know I can possibly help a family in My community. This isn’t going on “over there”, it’s happening everywhere. If it weighs heavily on your mind like it does on mine, the question is, what are you going to do about it?

Remo

I see Jakob’s point since these photos are illustrating how we in the U.S. define childhood poverty. Although they are poor by our standards as compared to many of the middle class in the U.S., this by no means is poverty.

In third world countries, their children do not eat or prepare meals, do not have shelter, do not have access to education, are not overweight (as depicted in some photos), and do not have the privilege of socialized services.

Leroy

I hate to say it, but most of them look like they are eating extremely well. Lotsa meet on their bones.

Andrew

Practical response : have less children, I have 1. just 1. I don’t make much money so I don’t have a lot of kids. this is a matter of personal choices. some of these people have made bad choices some have had bad luck, but having lots of kids is not a smart choice unless you have a pile of cash on hand.

The Chinese friend can post whatever he wants, his opinion is valued as much as yours. Are you with the ‘Internet Comments Police’?

What are you doing about this issue yourself? There is no way you can be ‘safe’ and make sure there will be money for all your kids. The economy on this planet is a savage and brutal deal. This was always obvious to me and that’s why I never had any kids.

Personally, I found it insulting to the people being photographed. “Childhood poverty”? Ok, so they did not look “rich” but they all looked happy. I’ve heated my house with wood, my mother died and left my father with 3 kids, and been bathed in the sink. These kids are living as my grand parents did during the great depression. The government didn’t bail them out–they made do with what they had.

Nobody said that you have to live a live of luxury to be happy. I don’t feel any sympathy for any of them. Especially the ones who appeared to be immigrants from down south. I’m sure if you asked them they would greatly prefer to be in “poverty” here in the states than back in the mother country. It is demeaning to act as though since they don’t have it as well as me, then they are in poverty. For the same reason, I would resent someone with much greater assets than me pitying poor old me.

t.ray

where is the poverty?

what is it that they do not have?
i saw bedding, shelter, clothing, food and caring family. is it because they do not have a big screen tv? hell one kid did have a tv in his room. again i say where is the poverty?

Absolutely moving photo essay! The Atencio family, with their 27 people in one house and RV really just blows me away. I can’t imagine having to live every day with even a 1/4 that many people.

And while I’m sure that you could always find someone worse off in another country, the people shown here are easily accessible to us all. That’s the difference: they are here and you can help them if you want to. A good way is to support the local Salvation Army and their efforts to provide after school services to the kids. You can see the help being provided in one of the picture of Austin Hessling above.

Jean-paul Vivini

Shame on the politicians associated with the mafia and the bankers who are the responsibles for this sad and criminal poverty which spreads not only in the usa but all over the earth now … they are criminals against humanity like the german nazis have been, (and very often they are the same sons or grandsons of these former nazis people). I hope that they will pay soon for their crimes

Sad? The folks in the photo essay look great! It is impressive to see how well people do with limited material resources. The adobe house looked beautiful and sturdy– better than many of the flimsy houses that are now built for the middle class! What’s truly sad is to learn from the comments how many overly-indulged, materialistic, wasteful Americans there are in this country! From the photo essay it appears that those who would be considered poor in this country are not suffering much from a lack of material resources, but from a lack of understanding of what behaviors, attitudes, and skills lead to wealth and good health, and those that don’t. . . that lead to poverty.

mywaterdr

this is the ugly part of America that politicians rarely talk about

Keith

Very moving pictures and each story has its ups and downs I’m sure.

I cant help think that some of these families made the decision to have so many children or burden themselves down with horses or other animals when the people should be the main focus. When a family has 7 or 8 kids and can barely cloth or feed them all.. that’s a poor decision on their part to have so many kids. Use your brains and narrow your lives down to what matter and get rid of the things that don’t and you’ll see how much better things get.

Cheryl

Hi friends,

I have been saying this my whole life…I never understand? People have brains, we all have one…why some brains just don’t compute….have sex = babies. Then people say, well they’re uneducated.. You don’t need an education to realize have sex, eventually there will be a baby. Then to just do it again and again and again. It f… frustrates me sooooo much.

It’s one of those frustrating things in life like dying… there is just nothing you can do about it.

childhood should be for as long as it can, let children be children, not woman, not man…
poverty wherever is poverty, its the crown that all us human beings wear, all of us being impoverished in some way or another…

I was there for The Hessling Family, and roy doing a great job with them kids

Sara Ferguson

A fascinating photo essay. The comments are even more illuminating. The most interesting comment so far is the question “Where is the poverty.” As someone who has both raised children while living below the poverty line, I would like to point out some of the signifiers of poverty in this group of photos.
1. Obesity. Obesity is not a sign of “eating well.” It is a sign you do not have access to the same healthy food, gyms, green parks, organized sports and physical activities, and fruits and vegetables (and time to cook them)that wealthier people have. A person can be obese and malnourished at the same time.
2. Lots of stuff in a small space, or lots of junk collected because when you are living in poverty you don’t know when you might need that old junky something that might be fixed or used just one more time.
3. Lack of cultural resources. Where are the pictures of the kids visiting museums, in marching band, choir, at the theater, in art class, ballet class, and so on? Some of the comments seem to imply that they are not poor because they can watch TV–but too much TV is a sign of impoverishment, not wealth–it’s the cheapest, safest kind of entertainment you can find in a dangerous city with not parks or other free activities. When mom or dad can’t pay for or drive you to classes or practices, there’s no backyard and gangs around the corner, TV may be the best option you have.

Lastly, its not an insult to be called “poor.” As the intro says, these are kids living below the poverty line. That just means they have less money than one needs to pay rent, utilities, and other normal expenses. The fact that their parents and relatives are still managing to create loving happy homelives for them is one of the miracles of parents and family.